Entebbe

Entebbe (ĕntĕbˈə) [key], town (2002 pop. 55,086), S Uganda, on Lake Victoria, near Kampala. Located in a region producing cotton, coffee, and plantains, it is the site of a major international airport. Entebbe was founded in 1893, and from 1894 to 1962 it was the administrative capital of the British Uganda Protectorate. In 1972, Entebbe's Asian population was forced to leave as part of a nationwide expulsion of Asians by Gen. Idi Amin. In 1976, Entebbe's airport was the site of a raid by Israeli commandos who freed 103 Israeli hostages from a plane hijacked by Palestinian terrorists. Eleven Ugandan warplanes and much of the airport were destroyed in the raid. The city has noteworthy botanical gardens and research institutions.